Method for Operating a Rail Vehicle and Arrangement Comprising a Rail Vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for operating a rail vehicle (1), wherein, before travel of the rail vehicle (1) is started, an environment of the rail vehicle (1) is captured by at least one sensor (17) on board a flying unmanned aerial vehicle (3) and corresponding sensor signals are generated, and wherein the rail vehicle (1) is released or not released for travel depending on a result of an evaluation of the sensor signals.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for operating a rail vehicle, wherein: before travel of the rail vehicle is started, an environment of the rail vehicle is captured by at least one sensor on board a flying unmanned aerial vehicle and corresponding sensor signals are generated, depending on a result of an evaluation of the sensor signals, travel of the rail vehicle is released or not released, the unmanned aerial vehicle flies between the rail vehicle and a track on which the rail vehicle is standing while the at least one sensor captures the environment of the rail vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is initially coupled to the rail vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle is uncoupled from the rail vehicle, and the at least one sensor captures the environment of the rail vehicle after the uncoupling.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein an evaluation device on board the unmanned aerial vehicle evaluates the sensor signals and, depending on the result of the evaluation, generates a release signal, which is transmitted to the rail vehicle and releases the travel of rail vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein a control system of the rail vehicle receives the sensor signals and/or sensor data generated by processing the sensor signals, and wherein the control system evaluates the received sensor signals and/or the sensor data and, depending on the result of the evaluation, generates a release signal which releases or prohibits travel of the rail vehicle.

15. An arrangement comprising a rail vehicle, wherein the arrangement further comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein: the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to capture an environment of the rail vehicle by at least one sensor on board the flying unmanned aerial vehicle before the start of a travel of the rail vehicle and to generate corresponding sensor signals, a control system of the rail vehicle is configured to start or not to start the travel of the rail vehicle depending on a result of an evaluation of the sensor signals, the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to fly between the rail vehicle and a track on which the rail vehicle is standing while the at least one sensor captures the environment of the rail vehicle.

16. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the rail vehicle comprises a coupling device for coupling the unmanned aerial vehicle to the rail vehicle, wherein the rail vehicle and the unmanned aerial vehicle are configured to uncouple the unmanned aerial vehicle from the rail vehicle, and wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle is configured to capture the environment of the rail vehicle by the at least one sensor after the uncoupling.

17. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle has an evaluation device which is configured to evaluate the sensor signals and, depending on the result of the evaluation, to generate a release signal, wherein the arrangement has transmission devices which are configured to transmit the release signal to the rail vehicle, and wherein the control system of the rail vehicle is configured to release the travel of the rail vehicle after receipt of the release signal or in the absence of the release signal.

18. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the control system of the rail vehicle has a receiving device for receiving the sensor signals and/or sensor data generated by processing the sensor signals, and wherein the control system also has an evaluation device which is configured to evaluate the received sensor signals and/or the sensor data and, depending on the result of the evaluation, to generate a release signal which releases or prohibits the travel of the rail vehicle.

Description

[0037] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawing. In the individual figures of the drawing:

[0038] FIG. 1 schematically shows a rail vehicle, in this case a locomotive, with an unmanned aerial vehicle stationed on the roof of the rail vehicle and a possible flight path of the aerial vehicle around the rail vehicle,

[0039] FIG. 2 schematically shows the rail vehicle from FIG. 1, wherein the aerial vehicle is located above the rail vehicle during its flight,

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an arrangement of devices for preparing for travel of a rail vehicle, for example the rail vehicle shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a rail vehicle 1, which is schematically shown as a locomotive. Alternatively, however, it may be another rail vehicle such as a trainset, a traction unit, a tram, a goods train, a passenger train or coupled locomotives. In the embodiment example, the rail vehicle 1 has pantographs 2 that contact an overhead line 7 during travel of the rail vehicle 1 in order to supply the rail vehicle 1 with electrical energy. The rail vehicle stands on a track 9, for example on the premises of a depot of a rail vehicle operator.

[0042] On the roof of the rail vehicle is a garage 5 for an unmanned aerial vehicle 3, which is located inside the garage 5 in the state shown. The garage 5 is at the same time a charging station for charging an energy storage device of the unmanned aerial vehicle 3. When travel of the rail vehicle 1 is to be started, a flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 3 takes place to check the environment of the rail vehicle 1 for the presence of obstacles and/or loose or defective parts. For this purpose, a flap of the garage 5 is opened, for example a lid and/or a side wall, so that the aerial vehicle 3 may fly upwards and/or sideways out of the garage 5 and then may fly away, in particular sideways, without contacting the overhead line 7. The flight of the aerial vehicle 3 is triggered, for example, by a control system of the rail vehicle 1 by transmitting a corresponding communication signal to the aerial vehicle 3 and to a controller of the garage 5 for the purpose of opening the flap.

[0043] For example, the aerial vehicle 3 then performs a flight on the schematically depicted flight path 4 while at least one sensor of the aerial vehicle 3 captures the environment of the rail vehicle 1 in order to simultaneously and/or subsequently detect obstacles and/or loose or defective parts of the rail vehicle by evaluating the sensor signals. After execution of the flight, the aerial vehicle 3 returns to the garage 5 and the flap of the garage is closed. The evaluation of the sensor signals may include pre-processing of the sensor signals, such as generating image data and/or fusing multiple images. In the exemplary embodiment, the flight path 4 also passes under the rail vehicle 1 so that obstacles and/or loose or defective parts may also be detected under the rail vehicle 1 in the direction of travel and directly in front of the rail vehicle 1.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows the arrangement from FIG. 1 with a special configuration of the aerial vehicle 3, in which the aerial vehicle 3 has a downward-facing camera 11. Image data are generated and recorded by means of the sensor signals of this camera 11. In this case, the sensor signals therefore signal amounts of radiation received by the individual sensor elements (for example, photodiodes) of the camera, which is configured as a digital camera, over a capturing time interval.

[0045] The camera 11 shown in FIG. 2 may optionally be configured to be movable relative to the aerial vehicle 3, for example, to be pivotable. In this way, the camera 11 may capture different parts of the environment of the rail vehicle 1 and record corresponding image information without requiring a relative movement of the aerial vehicle 3 and the rail vehicle 1, or the flight path of the aerial vehicle 3 may be shorter.

[0046] The schematic block diagram in FIG. 3 shows devices of an unmanned aerial vehicle, for example the aerial vehicle 3 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, and devices of a rail vehicle, for example the rail vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The aerial vehicle 3 has a controller 13 which is configured to transmit control signals to a drive 15 and to a sensor 17 and in this way to control their operation. The sensor 17 is configured to transmit data corresponding to the sensor signals it generates, in whole or in part, to a data memory 19 where the data are stored.

[0047] Furthermore, the aerial vehicle 3 has an emitting device 21 by means of which sensor signals of the sensor 17 and/or data stored in the data memory 19 may be transmitted, in particular wirelessly, to a receiving device 23 of the rail vehicle 1. However, it is also possible for data transmission to take place in a line-conducted manner as soon as the aerial vehicle 3 has been coupled to a transmission line after its flight. The received sensor signals and/or data may be transmitted from the receiving device 23 to an evaluation device 25 of a control system 20 of the rail vehicle 1. The evaluation device 25 is connected via corresponding signal lines to a drive controller 27 of the control system 20 and to a display device 29 of the rail vehicle 1, for example in the driver's cab of the rail vehicle 1.

[0048] Before travel of the rail vehicle 1, in particular immediately after and/or during the making ready of the rail vehicle 1, the aerial vehicle 3 may fly on a flight path, for example as described with reference to FIG. 1, and the sensor 17 and optionally at least one further sensor of the aerial vehicle 3 may capture the environment of the rail vehicle 1. In preparation for the flight and during the flight, the drive 15 of the aerial vehicle 3 is controlled by the controller 13 of the aerial vehicle 3 such that the flight is performed. In addition, the controller 13 controls the sensor 17 and optionally the at least one further sensor in such a way that the environment of the rail vehicle 1 is captured.

[0049] For example, after an operation start triggered by the controller 13, the sensor 17 embodied as a camera may record individual camera images at regular time intervals and store them in the data memory 19 until the controller 13 terminates the operation of the sensor 17 again. In another embodiment of the aerial vehicle 3 or in another operating phase, the controller 13 may control the sensor 17 in such a way that, after receiving a control signal, a single camera image is recorded and stored in the data memory 19. This enables the controller 13 to generate camera images selectively, for example at predefined points of a predefined flight path and/or depending on the evaluation of previously generated sensor signals. Alternatively or additionally, the orientation of the sensor 17 may be adjustable and the aerial vehicle 3 may therefore have an actuator controllable by the controller 13 to effect the desired orientation of the sensor 17.

[0050] In the embodiment of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, the evaluation of the sensor signals and/or data generated therefrom does not take place in the aerial vehicle 3. In another embodiment, however, this may be the case in whole or in part.

[0051] According to the embodiment of FIG. 3, the signals and/or data transmitted via the emitting device 21 of the aerial vehicle 3 to the receiving device 23 of the rail vehicle 1 are evaluated by the evaluation device 25 of the control system 20 of the rail vehicle 1. The evaluation determines whether there are obstacles and/or loose or defective parts in the environment of the rail vehicle 1, including the space under the rail vehicle 1. If this is the case, the travel of the rail vehicle 1 is blocked and/or not released by outputting a signal from the evaluation device 25 to the drive controller 27 of the rail vehicle 1. In addition, it is displayed in particular to the vehicle driver that the determined reason for the persistent standstill of the vehicle is present. For example, the display device 29 may comprise at least one signal light and/or at least one screen. In the case of the signal light, for example, the illumination may indicate the determined reason. Alternatively or additionally, an image containing a determined obstacle and/or loose or defective part may be displayed on the screen, wherein the image has been generated from the sensor signals of the sensor 17 and/or optionally from sensor signals of the at least one further sensor.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0052] 1 rail vehicle [0053] 2 pantograph [0054] 3 unmanned aerial vehicle [0055] 4 flight path [0056] 5 garage [0057] 7 overhead line [0058] 9 track [0059] 11 camera [0060] 13 controller [0061] 15 drive [0062] 17 sensor [0063] 19 data memory [0064] 20 control system [0065] 21 emitting device [0066] 23 receiving device [0067] 25 evaluation device [0068] 27 drive controller [0069] 29 display device